life

What happens when a regional town finds itself engineered off holidaymakers’ road maps? Instead of viewing it as a death sentence, many are revelling in the chance to reinvent themselves.

After realising the perfume industry was dominated by just six major players, Saskia Wilson-Brown set about creating a non-profit enterprise that would empower everyday people with the ability to learn and create. Welcome to LA’s Institute for Art and Olfaction.

It’s the end of the beginning of the pandemic. For those working to revive Australia’s near-dead tourism industry, it’s the start of a long, hard slog.

Seven years after hearing about a one-off bottle of a 1961 Japanese single malt whisky, blended in honour of a famed conductor’s 50th birthday, the author tracks it down in a bar named Keith.

Alva Lim moved from Australia to Timor-Leste, where she co-founded the Agora Food Studio, a social enterprise that celebrates the unique Timorese cuisine.

Burnt out by working long hours as a Melbourne chef, the author headed to Italy to study art and regroup. In the process, she found her passion for food was reignited.

Following an energy-sapping hike through sublime Utah scenery, a conversational impasse is broken by talk of Mormons and mass shootings. A strange choice for small talk? As the author discovers, everything comes down to timing.

Even a visitor with no interest in street art might find that a tour of Banksy’s Bristol leaves an indelible mark.

The Mexican state of Guerrero offers iconic beaches, culinary delights and a pleasing climate. But for tourism promoters trying to sell it as a dream destination it has one major hitch – a frighteningly high crime rate.